The Great Fall
by Raven100104
Summary: Yes, he had been careless, too into the game, but could anybody really blame him? No one was supposed to get hurt at his heists; that was the golden rule…the only rule. KaiShin ficlet


_Drip. Drop._

The beginnings of the evening rain sprinkle from the skies, making light ripples when it's swallowed up into the shallow puddles on the pavement.

'_Great'_, KID thinks, scooting closer against the side of an abandoned building, letting his white cape scrape against the chipping gray paints of the walls in hopes of getting _some_ coverage for the impending storm. He winces when he moves and exerts his muscles just the slightest bit, and his hand immediately shoots over to cover source of his pain as blood seeps through his coat, dying the white fabric a twisted shade of crimson. A small groan escapes his chapped lips.

Everything's spinning. Everything hurts.

Yes, he had been careless, too into the game, but could anybody blame him? No one was supposed to get hurt at his heists; that was the golden rule…the only rule. But when his favorite detective pays him a surprise visit _in his original body,_ Kaito just couldn't find time to pay attention to anything else. Screw the jewel. Screw the task force. Screw everything.

He had been scanning the area when he first arrived with Nakamori's men, serving as their 'magician consultant' for the billionth time (really, the ol' man should know better by now). Of course, the first thing he did was to check out his audience; after all, a show isn't a show without the eager participants, especially for a flashy guy such as himself. His stomach did a little somersault when he spotted that girl from the detective agency, which means…

Wait, what? Where is that little glasses kid, the one who climbs all over the scene like he freaking owns the place?

It didn't matter though, because after his moments of disappointment and inwardly childish tantrums, Kaito was greeted by the most familiar Cheshire smirk that came with the bluest of eyes. On a 5ft 8 body.

And_ gods_. His knees buckled.

Then the game was _on_.

It only took a moment of distraction during the chase when Kaito leapt into the air that he heard a 'bang!' followed immediately by a disconcerting pain on his stomach. 'Snake' briefly crossed his mind, but the sudden force of the gunshot had sent the mid-air thief plummeting towards the earth, and it was only with a vague rush of coherence that he set off his wings to glide to safety. Had he had the chance to look up, he would've seen the horrified, unmasked worry of his very own Sherlock Holmes.

The fall down had been jerky, unsteady, and took some wobbly maneuvering on his part to slide in between a pair of abandoned buildings off God-knows-where, where his hang glider collapsed on impact, introducing him to the ground with scrapes and bruises for days.

Now, Kaito thinks, he just has to wait it out. Wait what out exactly (the rain, the psychopaths…the cops?), he isn't sure; but he knows one thing, and it's that he does _not_ want to die yet. He can't, not with Pandora still out there. Imagine Tantei-kun's face when he sees the great Kaito KID, master of everything known to mankind (except fish, but he doesn't mention it), in any form less than absolutely _fabulous!_ Kaito shivers – he doesn't even want to think about it.

Another wave of pain hits him when the rain starts to come down, and he shivers and curls in hopes of retaining some comfort. No such luck. "Jii, come get me already…" A rolling thunder interrupts his mumblings. Kaito sucks in a breath and slams his eyes shut; the blood is beginning to ooze out now, and he finds himself going numb one limb at a time.

Maybe he should get up. Maybe he could get help.

At least if he dies in the hospital he'd be dry, Kaito thinks bitterly, groaning when he tries to push himself off the ground. It doesn't take long until he loses his footing and falls again. _'Well, there goes my tailbone. Not like I need it or anything.'_

For the next few moments, Kaito tries and fails at getting himself upright, which at one point includes just laying down on the ground with gloved hands clasped while he shouts a half-assed prayer (but mostly abuse) to God.

Just when he thinks he might organize a pity party slash funeral, Kaito hears quick and seemingly frantic clicks of footsteps just around the corner and immediately shrinks back to into what little darkness that the building's shadow provides. The footsteps get louder and louder, and by then, Kaito doesn't even try to hide anymore. He's been found; he can sense the presence of whoever's watching his curled up position.

Then the clicking stops, and… so does the rain?

"Baaro." says the only voice that can turn the word into a petname. Kaito's head shot up, and a pain-laced grin immediately breaks out across his face.

"Tantei-kun…" And that moment, when Shinichi holds his blue umbrella over him, the numbness slips away from him, and Kaito _feels_ shielded from the world. "You found me."

Then it's comfort, when Shinichi kneels before him, a hand fussing to brush away the wet clumps of hair that drape over his monocle'd eye.

Warmth, when Shinichi tugs Kaito's cape tightly around him.

Relief, when Shinichi awkwardly picks him up, supporting him with each step he takes.

And there is something else, something Kaito can't quite put his finger on, when the great detective furrows his brows in worry, then looking so stupidly _glad_ when he finally found him.

Kaito will ponder about that later, because right now, with him tangled in Tantei-kun's arms, he can think about little else.

Maybe he should get shot more often.

* * *

Inspired by: a photobucket picture by kirit3 that I can't put up because DAMMIT FF!


End file.
